Colorado Department of Education

Financial Transparency

Fiscal Year
2020 - 2021

Home

Adams 12 Five Star Schools (0020)

1500 E 128TH AVENUE
THORNTON, CO 80241

Students Info
36,654
Total Students Served
32,959
Non-Charter School Students
Serves Elementary School Grades Serves Middle School Grades Serves High School Grades Charter
SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT

Narrative

quotes A message from:
Mimi Livermore
Finance Director
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
June 1, 2022
Who we are. Adams 12 Five Star Schools is accredited as a Performance District in Colorado, serving students in preschool through 12th grade. We’re a caring, inclusive and engaging district which exists so the students it serves can attain the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue the future of their choosing and are equipped to navigate and thrive in our rapidly changing world. Our mission is to engage and inspire all students ... Who we are. Adams 12 Five Star Schools is accredited as a Performance District in Colorado, serving students in preschool through 12th grade. We’re a caring, inclusive and engaging district which exists so the students it serves can attain the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue the future of their choosing and are equipped to navigate and thrive in our rapidly changing world. Our mission is to engage and inspire all students to innovate, achieve and succeed in a safe environment by ensuring high quality instruction in every classroom, every day. Located just seven miles north of downtown Denver, Adams 12 Five Star Schools is the sixth largest district in the state offering more than 36,000 students and their families the benefits of a large community with a close-knit feel. That's reflected in the numerous opportunities for students, staff and parents at any of the district's more than 50 unique learning centers. The five stars represent the five cities where our schools are located: Broomfield, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster. How we’re funded. State and local tax revenue make up most of our general fund with a little from federal and other sources. More than 78 percent of the district’s general fund dollars are determined by the state Legislature through the School Finance Act. Unfortunately, state funding for K-12 education has declined sharply in the years following the Great Recession of the late 2000s. Starting with the 2009-2010 school year those allocations have fallen short of the amount needed to keep up with inflation and statewide enrollment. In 2009, the Legislature decided only certain parts of the School Finance Act needed to grow with inflation, therefore implemented the Budget Stabilization Factor. The Budget Stabilization Factor has had a substantial impact on all of Colorado’s school districts. In the Five Star District it’s resulted in more than $448 million in decreased funding 2010-2011 through 2020-2021. The School Finance Act for the 2020-2021 school year has the Budget Stabilization Factor at 12.8 percent. This amounts to $49 million less in funding for the 2020-2021 school year. One way to overcome limited funding from the state is for local voters to pass a mill levy override which generates additional property tax revenue for their local school district. Districts that have passed an override, in or after 2010, have used the dollars to help ease the pain of cuts at the state level. Voters in the Five Star District passed an override in 2018. Previous to that, the last override passed was in 2008. Learn more. While this website provides a snapshot of our budget and finances, we welcome any questions you may have about how we fund student success in the Five Star District. Visit Funding 101 on our website to learn more.

Spending

Current Spending Per Student
$13,967
Current Spending per Student
$12,383
State Average

School Level Spending per Student
  • Federal
    $845
  • State/Local
    $9,986
  • Total
    $10,830
School Share of Central Spending per Student
  • Federal
    $467
  • State/Local
    $2,669
  • Total
    $3,137

Current District Spending

  1. Learning Environment
    Learning Environment
    78%
  2. Operations
    Operations
    22%
Learning Environment Expenditures
Learning Environment
$357,650,773

View Learning Environment Breakdown

Operations Expenditures
Operations
$100,247,508

View Operations Breakdown

$457,898,281

Total

Long-Term Spending
Construction, Debt, Refinancing & Other
Construction, Debt, Refinancing & Other

View Contruction Funds Breakdown

These expenditures are those not associated with day-to-day operation of school activities and, therefore, are not included in the per-student spending calculation. They are comprised of major construction projects, debt payments, acquisition of land, and other programs.

$106,738,982

Total

Total District-Allocated Spending

$564,637,263

Totals may not sum due to rounding

Funding and Revenues

Funding

  1. Local
    Local
    46%
  2. State
    State
    43%
  3. Federal
    Federal
    12%
Local Fundings and Revenues
Local
$244,144,345

View Local Fund Breakdown

State Fundings and Revenues
State
$229,132,802

View State Fund Breakdown

Federal Fundings and Revenues
Federal
$63,256,086

View Federal Fund Breakdown

$536,533,234

Total

Other Fundings and Revenues

Other revenues not received through local, state, or federal sources. They include proceeds from the sale of bonds, accrued interest, and other extraordinary items.

$2,097,692

Total

Total Funding

$538,630,926

View Property Tax Breakdown